Spending money

Writing task: Reply to an email

Read the end of an email you’ve received from a friend. Write a reply giving Useful language
advice on how to spend the money. Useful phrases
Starting an email
Use the Useful language and the notes you made in the Engage task to help you
• Great to hear from you.
prepare. Write 200–250 words. • It was great to hear your
news!
New mail • You lucky thing!
So, by working all summer I’ve managed to save £500 but I’ve got no idea what to do with • Congratulations on your
it. Should I spend it on a bike, go on holiday, or save it? What do you think? Maybe we can bonus.
cycle across Ireland together for a month. Giving advice
• If I were you, I’d spend
Anyway, that’s all for now. I must go and cook dinner.
the money on...
Alex J • You should spend the
money on...
Tip  An email to a friend should be informal so use the kind of language you might • Why don’t you buy...?
use when speaking English to friends. Use contractions and try to sound friendly and Ending an email
interested in your friend’s news. • Anyway, I really must
(get back to work now /
Follow this email structure:
make dinner).
• Greet your friend. Start with Hello or Hi and your friend’s name.
• Hope to hear from you
• Talk about your friend’s news. soon.
• Give your friend some advice. Give a reason. • Write soon.
• End the letter.
• Sign off with Best wishes or Love and your name. Useful vocabulary
• Add an additional note to the end of the email (P.S.). Suggest that you meet your friend • donate money to charity
soon. • a savings account
Check it!  Read your email and check it’s organized clearly and makes sense. Then • give money away
read it again and check for grammar, vocabulary and spelling errors. • spend money on
• waste money

Hello Alex J. great to hear from you, it is good news to know that you have worked in
summer. You lucky thing! I have not been able to work in summer because I was
studying. I only need one cycle to finish my studies. Congratulations on your bonus. If I
were you, I’d spend the money on a vacation, it's a good idea to travel Ireland for a
month and to know new places. If you travel to Ireland you can visit Wicklow
Mountains National Park is a very beautiful place. Or you can visit the Walk of Salthill,
it is very close to the beach.
Or why do not you buy a bicycle? Could serve you to transport you without spending
so much money. If you buy a bicycle, it will be useful for you to exercise, to transport
you short distances and not to pollute the environment.
Try not waste money, you can also save money for when you need it or to pay for your
studies
Anyway, I really must get back to the university now.
Hope to hear from you soon. Write soon friend.
Best wishes Alex J.

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